Schroeppel, NY -- The public hearing will continue Thursday concerning the rezoning of property for the opening of a mining operation on County Route 12 in Schroeppel.

The hearing will continue at 6:05 p.m. in the Schroeppel town hall. A.J. Montclair Inc. a construction company based in Central Square, wants to operate a commercial mining operation on 30 acres the company owns and is seeking to rezone the land for this use.

The public hearing began March 10, with nearly 20 angry Schroeppel residents voicing their dismay about the project and proposed rezoning.

Most were concerned about water contamination, stating they believe the mine would damage the Sand Ridge Aquifer, which supplies water to individual wells and to the community Foster and Kline wells, used by the village of Phoenix and city of Fulton.

Sidney Manes, the lawyer for the Montclair company and an environmental lawyer for 40 years, has said previously that “mining operation” really isn’t the correct name for what Alan Montclair wants to do. He said Montclair needs gravel and sand for his business and “we’ll be moving ground around to get to the sand and small gravel. It sounds like you’re going to be hearing explosions, but there is no blasting involved at all.”

Manes also said the company has worked with the state Department of Environmental Conservation and gone through the DEC’s State Environmental quality review act requirements, known as SEQR, and received its DEC permit.The state Department of Environmental Conservation has issued a mining permit to Montclair after a full SEQR review. The permit expires July 29, 2013.